Rescue Mission
by Pawprinter
Summary: [Spoilers for episode 5x03!] Once again, Bellamy felt like time was the number one enemy. Clarke needed him, yet he was so far away. Even with the frantic driving of his new companion, he feared they would be too late. Of course, Bellamy Blake would be charging in to battle with nothing but a mug in his hand and a twelve-year-old by his side. It was time to save the princess.


**_WARNING: this fic contains spoilers for the most recent episode of "The 100". I tried to keep the tags and the summary with as little spoilers as possible for this reason. If you haven't seen this episode yet, I highly recommend you watch that before reading this._**

 **This is dedicated to Alexa and Cassy Marie! They both gave me the characters of Madi and Bellamy, focusing on the conversation during the ride in the rover in episode 5x03. Thank you both for this prompt! I had so much fun writing it - I got a little carried away.**

 **Enjoy!**

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 **Rescue Mission**

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"Hurry up!" The young girl tugged on Bellamy's hand once more, pulling him further into the forest. His feet stumbled over fallen branches, nearly sending him to the ground. The only thing keeping him upright was the girl's tugs and the burning need inside of him to get to Clarke.

 _Clarke is alive. Oh, gods. Clarke is alive. She's alive._

Other than those words, his mind was completely empty. He wasn't even sure if he said goodbye to his companions. He wasn't sure how long it had been since he first stumbled into this girl – or, rather, how long it had been since she stumbled into him. Ever since he was told that Clarke was alive, his mind was a complete jumble.

Bellamy couldn't feel his hands, his heart was pounding so fast.

 _He left her here to die, but she survived._

 _She spent the last six years alone._

Bellamy instantly crushed those thoughts. She clearly wasn't alone. His eyes dropped to the girl pulling him. It looked as if Clarke had made a friend out of the young girl during their time as the last two people on Earth.

His heart sent a twinge of pain. _They weren't the last people on Earth._ The bunker was below ground, and he refused to believe anything other than them still being alive. _Octavia had to be alive._

"I know where she is. Just hop in and get ready." Bellamy's thoughts were broken when the girl spoke to him. He was confused by her words – 'hop in?' Then, she dropped his hand and pulled a bunch of large branches away. Underneath the pile of branches sat _his_ rover.

Bellamy let out a puff of air, once again surprised at what had actually managed to survive Praimfaya.

Without wasting a moment, the girl pulled open the driver's door and began to climb in.

"Whoa. No, you don't." Bellamy stepped forward, his hand automatically reaching forward to grip the door of the rover. "You can drive? Isn't that dangerous?" It certainly felt dangerous to Bellamy. He doubted that she could see over the steering wheel, but he would never mention that out loud.

"I'll explain on the way. We don't have much time." It was almost like she was repeating the same lines over and over – very similar to how his brain was working at that moment. _She's alive. She's alive. She's alive._ "Clarke needs us." Her voice was steady and held no room for questions.

With those simple words, Bellamy was brought back to the moment. His mind focused, his pulse slowed. No matter what he was thinking or feeling – he would not let that distract him from saving Clarke. Now that he found out Clarke wasn't actually dead, he would do anything in his power to keep it that way.

Bellamy strode up to the rover and jumped into the passenger seat. Before he could close the door behind him, the young girl was already speeding away. Bellamy instinctively reached forward and gripped the dashboard. _It had been so long since he drove in a vehicle._ He pushed the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach away.

He had to focus for Clarke.

"You okay?" Bellamy turned to face the child. She couldn't be any older than twelve years old, yet she held herself with the confidence of… Well, she held herself like Clarke did. She was so sure of herself, so strong, yet she radiated kindness and empathy. Even while she was driving towards what was sure to be a battle, she couldn't help but worry about her companion's wellbeing. It was _so Clarke._

"I'm fine. Just… eh… Just keep your eyes on the road." He cringed when he thought back to the last time he was in a rover. They were racing towards Becca's lab hours before Praimfaya. He was so sure that they were going to make in back to the bunker in time, but that's when things went wrong. He wasn't watching where he was driving, which resulted in the destruction of the rover. In a way, if he had kept his eyes on the road, they never would have had to return to space. Clarke would still be alive.

 _No. She's alive. She's alive. She's alive._

Bellamy swallowed thickly. He would not repeat his mistakes again. They would not crash the rover. He would not lose Clarke again.

"I've been driving for most of my life. I know these woods better than anyone – well, maybe not better than Clarke. She taught me, you know." Despite the situation, Bellamy couldn't help but be intrigued. Talking about Clarke filled him with a spark of happiness and eased his nerves. He settled into his seat and clutched the door handle tightly.

"Clarke taught you?" He shook his head, almost as if he was trying to clear it of water. "Who are you?" Her cheeks lit up in a blush.

"So I'm guessing you didn't hear her?"

"What?" If possible, he was even more confused. She clamped her mouth shut, almost as if she was afraid to say what was on her mind. "I didn't hear who?"

"I'm Madi," she said, changing the subject slightly. Bellamy made a mental note to ask her about her comment again later. "Clarke and I are the last two people on the Earth's surface – but I already told you that." She risked a glance out of the corner of her eye. "I'm sorry about your sister."

"Octavia is fine." Bellamy felt like he answered too quickly, almost as if he was trying to convince himself of that answer as much as he was trying to convince Madi.

"I know. I am just sorry we couldn't get them out. Clarke misses Abby every day." Bellamy was shocked by how much this young girl really knew. "But don't worry. Clarke always tells me to never give up hope. That's what helped her survive for so long – hope that she would find water, hope that she would get into the bunker, hope that you all were still alive, hope that you could hear her, a hope for a better future." _There it was again._

"You keep saying that I heard her? What do you mean? Was I supposed to hear… Clarke?" It was getting harder to say her name.

He had spent the first several years in space mourning her, drowning in guilt for all of his actions and his in-actions. During those years, it was nearly impossible to get that one word passed his lips. It had gotten easier as time passed – he had used her memory and his pain to inspire him to be a better man.

But now? Now, he almost felt like just by saying her name, everything around him would fall apart. It almost felt as if her name would shatter the dream world he had composed around himself, and he would wake up back on the Ark.

"She radioed you every day for the last 2199 days. Every day for the last six years." As she spoke, she never took her eyes off the road. When he didn't respond right away, she glanced at him. "Bellamy?"

 _She tried to talk to me. She was reaching out for me and I wasn't there. I failed her. Not only did I leave her behind, but I couldn't even respond to her on the radio._

"Oh, gods…" he muttered under his breath, his head falling into his hands. A wave of sadness washed over him.

"You had no idea?" Madi asked, completely shocked.

"I had no idea."

They were silent for a moment. She made a sharp turn to the left, making him press tightly against the door.

Panic was rising up inside of him. He felt like he had failed her even more, if that was possible. Why didn't he try harder to fix the radio? Why-

He pushed down the raging thoughts in his head. _Now was not the time._

He didn't even know if Clarke was still alive. He didn't know who he was going up against. He didn't know anything about this new Earth. All he knew was he would do everything in his power to rescue their princess.

This was not the time to panic. This was not the time to try to fix the past. He might not be able to change the past, but he could try to shape the future. He wasn't going to lose Clarke tonight because of his emotions. He wasn't going to lose Clarke tonight because of his heart.

He was going to use the skills _she_ taught him.

He was going to be the head.

Bellamy cleared his throat and blinked rapidly. After he calmed the raging storm inside of him, he turned to face Madi.

"I'm sorry I didn't hear your calls," he finally responded. The words felt thick on his tongue. "We tried fixing the radio, we really did. But the radiation stopped the signal." He managed one more sombre look at Madi. "I'm sorry." She shrugged, which was not the response Bellamy was expecting.

"It's okay. There are things in this world that we can't control – this being one of them. You tried your best, that's all anyone can ask for." Bellamy was at a loss for words. She spoke much older than her years, and held much more wisdom than he had when he was a child. "You're here now. That's the important thing."

He didn't know how to respond to her heartfelt words – everything was just happening so fast. Instead, he chose to focus on trying to figure out how different Earth was than before.

"You speak English," he pointed out. "Clarke?"

"Yes. She taught me nearly everything I know. Except traps and hiding – I'm the master at that." There was a sparkle in her eye that Bellamy didn't quite understand. "But English, driving, shooting – that was all Clarke. She also taught me about you."

" _Me_?" What was there to say about him?

"Well, not just you. All of you." Bellamy wondered what she meant by that. Could Clarke have told this girl _everything?_ Even the things that they carried shame over? He didn't have to ponder too long because the answer was clear. If he was left on this planet with only Madi for company, he could easily see himself telling her everything.

"She was always worried about losing herself, especially after so much time in a different world all alone. She told me all about growing up on the Ark. And she told me about her time on the ground, of course. She also told me about everyone in her life that she cared about. She couldn't forget you guys – she refused to have the memory of everyone fade." Madi awkwardly shifted in her seat. Bellamy smiled. She reminded him of Octavia at that age. "She would tell me stories of you guys. She really tried to honour everyone. She drew portraits of you all and always used your stories to teach me about sacrifice, honour, bravery, and kindness. To be honest, you guys are my heroes." As soon as she said it, her face flushed red. Bellamy let out a low chuckle.

"You're kind, Madi, but I don't deserve the title of hero. We do what we do to survive."

"And that's what makes you a hero!" She was starting to sound more and more excited. "You guys are _so_ cool. Clarke would always tell me about you and Octavia – how you would do anything for her. You were always trying to protect her – first from the government on the Ark, and then from the dangers of Earth." She was silent for a second, almost as if she was weighing her words. "You always reminded me of my father. He always protected me, put me first. He tried his best to keep me safe and to keep my family together. Like you to Octavia." Bellamy smiled at the young girl, but a feeling of unease set in his stomach. He hoped he could live up to her expectations. He looked down at his hands.

 _Best Dad in the Universe_

His smile faded.

The words across the mug reminded him of his friends back in space. He was reminded of all of those he lost, and all of those he refused to lose. He was reminded that Clarke needed him.

"What are we walking in to?" Bellamy asked. The smile fell off of Madi's face too. It felt as if the oxygen in the rover had been sucked out. "Do you know how many there are?"

"Hard to say exactly. There must have been around thirty people when they landed yesterday. Then Clarke killed one. And another. And then another… and one more." Bellamy choked on the air in his lungs. He forgot the feeling of talking about death. He had gotten used to peace and discussions about algae. "Then I took out those few around you all. So… maybe twenty left?" Bellamy rubbed the side of his face, trying his best to stay calm. If it came down to it, there would be no way he could take that many in combat. He hoped that they could come to an agreement peacefully.

He glanced at the mug.

Or, at least as peacefully as he could manage.

Regardless, he would make sure Madi was safe and he would try to protect Clarke.

"Do you know who they are?" She shook her head. As Bellamy quizzed her more, he couldn't help but feel like his heart was beating way too fast. Madi looked calm and collected – the complete opposite of what he felt.

He felt like the drive was taking too long. Clarke could be hurt, or getting hurt. She could be dea-

No. He wouldn't let himself complete the thought. He wasn't going to be late. She was going to be okay.

"Bellamy… What are we going to do?" Madi looked away from the path they travelled. For the first time since he met her, he could see fear and uncertainty in her eyes. He felt himself push all of his worries aside.

He was no longer the main concern. It didn't matter if he was scared or not. He would do this for Clarke. He would do this for Madi.

"I will give them a deal they can't refuse."

"And if they _do_ refuse?" Bellamy's hand tightened around the mug.

"You'll be far away if it comes to that. You won't be harmed." Madi stiffened, almost as if she was going to disagree with him. "When I raise my hand, I'll need to you drive away – far enough where you can escape if needed, but not too far so Clarke and I can make it back to you. If you hear anything that sounds like a fight, you need to drive away. Go back to my friends. They'll be able to help you."

"And Clarke? She'll be okay?"

"I'll do everything I can." There was a heavy pause. He considered his next words very carefully. "She's important to me. I care about her, Madi. I won't let anything harm her – not if I can help it." Madi's lips quirked up into a smile.

"Care, huh?" Bellamy nodded slowly, confused about her emphases on the words. "Well, she _cares_ about you, too."

Even though he was moments away from a conflict, he couldn't help but smile. He couldn't wait until he could see her again. He couldn't wait until he could hear her voice again, feel her presence again, or listen to his wisdom. It had been what felt like a lifetime since he had last seen her.

"We're almost there," Madi interrupted his thoughts.

Bellamy steadied his nerves and focused his mind. It had been nice to get to know the girl that Clarke obviously cared very much for. He still had so many questions about Madi, about Clarke's life, and about this new Earth.

But now wasn't the time for that.

 _This was it._

It was time to save the princess.

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 **I had lots of fun writing this, even though I struggled with Madi's characterization a little bit. I found it a challenge to write for someone that is so young, but has so much wisdom. I hope I portrayed her maturity here, as I imagine she acts older than her age (due to everything she has gone through).**

 **I hope you enjoyed. Don't forget to leave a review!**


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